The longest ever Game of Thrones episode should be epic.
To begin with, we're not going to speculate on who takes the Iron Throne because it's looking very likely that The Great War against the Night King is taking precedence over the war for the Iron Throne.
Plus, Season 8 will ultimately decide who sits on the throne - if anyone's left standing after the army of the undead attack!
With this in mind, here are some of the questions that we think the season finale, The Dragon and the Wolf, should answer.
1) Viserion and the Night King
Lots has been written about the Night King's new dragon, none of it has been confirmed.
To begin with, it's worth noting that the depiction of ice dragons is very different to what Viserion currently is.
Here's what George R.R Martin has said about ice dragons in his books: "These colossal beasts, many times larger than the dragons of Valyria, are said to be made of living ice, with eyes of pale blue crystal and vast translucent wings through which the moon and stars can be glimpsed as they wheel across the sky.Whereas common dragons (if any dragon can truly be said to be common) breathe flame, ice dragons supposedly breathe cold, a chill so terrible that it can freeze a man solid in half a heartbeat [...] As ice dragons supposedly melt when slain, no actual proof of their existence has ever been found."
Ok, we've got so many questions about this.
Can Viserion still breathe regular fire, or will he breathe ice now?
Is the dragon now a wight, similar to the polar bear that attacked Thoros? It's possible that Viserion is more similar to a White Walker. After all, the Night King didn't physically touch the dead in Hardhome when he turned them into wights — he merely raised his arms. Compare this to the last episode, we see the Night King physically touch the fallen dragon, just like he did with Craster's children.
With that in mind, it's more likely that Viserion can only be killed via dragon glass and Valyrian steel.
What about the Wall? Can the Night King's dragon freeze the sea at Eastwatch and let the dead pass around it? Can he make a 700 feet tall ramp of ice that reaches to the top of the Wall? Can he still breath actual fire and melt a gigantic hole in the Wall?
If the answer to any of these is yes, we expect the Night King to pass beyond the Wall. The Night's Watch are facing an impossible fight.
2) Daenerys' whereabouts
Conspicuous by her absence in the trailer. Remember that Bran has had visions before of a dragon flying over King's Landing.
Are we about to see Dany's return to the city where her father was killed?
3) The Greyjoys
Any negotiation is about leverage and in this case, Cersei/Euron have the upper hand because they're currently holding Yara Greyjoy as their prisoner.
We know that Theon will make an appearance in the final episode of Season 7 and it's very likely that he'll ask Tyrion to get his sister back.
We've also seen the Iron Fleet docked near Blackwater Bay.
Will Theon finally come face-to-face with his uncle for the first time since he fled from that epic battle on the seas?
4) House Lannister
Jesus, where do you begin with this family?
As stated previously, we were
slightly underwhelmed by Tyrion and Jaime's recent reunion in the crypts of King's Landing, but with the news that he's set to be a father again, Jaime's allegiance may have switched more towards Cersei again.
Then again, we all know about the
valonqar prophecy, but now that Jaime knows his little brother had no part in Joffrey's death,
his relationship with Cersei could change.
On the other side of the negotiations, Tyrion's mindset isn't exactly clear also.
At the end of the Spoils of War, it's clear that the youngest Lannister was extremely conflicted after seeing his older brother take on Dany's forces and Drogon.
The Hand of the Queen and the Mother of Dragons haven't exactly enjoyed a harmonious working relationship this season. When it comes to playing the game of thrones, nobody is better than Cersei but can Tyrion somehow get the upper hand?
Cool heads will need to prevail but can their tempers be kept in check?
5) Cloak and dagger at Winterfell
We've already speculated about
Arya's 'uncharacteristic' behaviour towards Sansa, but there's an unshakable feeling that we're entering the final stages of this this story arc.
Sansa has already sent Brienne away to King's Landing and said : "I do not need to be watched over or minded or cared for. I'm not a child. I am the Lady of Winterfell, and I am home. This is the safest place for me."
Last season, she told Jon that "only a fool would trust Littlefinger." We take her word on both accounts.
This story is coming to an end, but if Littlefinger is going to make it out alive, he better come up with the most intelligent scheme in his life.
6) Sam the man
He has left Oldtwon but where is he heading? Remember, he still has a Valyrian steel sword, all those scrolls/books about the White Walkers and the knowledge that Jon is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne - provided he actually listened to Gilly.
Despite this, he could also succumb to the most basic human emotion, grief. He still doesn't know that his father and brother were executed by Daenerys.
7) The Dragon and Wolf: Version 1
Speaking of Rhaegar Targaryen, Dany's older brother has been
rumoured to make an appearance in the show for quite a while now.
We know that he legally wed Lyanna Stark after securing an annulment from Ella Martell, but could we be seeing more strands of this tragic love story? Remember, Gendry's legitimate father, Robert Baratheon, killed Jon's legitimate father, Rhaegar.
Will Jon finally discover the truth about his natural parents?
8) Castrely Rock
How did Grey Worm and the Unsullied get free of that siege?
9) Bronn and Tyrion
Jerome Flynn (Bronn) has previously mentioned that a reunion is on the cards. "Originally, I heard there was going to be a scene. They decided not to go for it. There's something, I hope, that's still to come, where Bronn and Tyrion might have a little bit of time for an exchange together and shoot the breeze, as it were. Hopefully there will be some old Bronn and Tyrion dynamics coming up again."
We would give anything to see this happen at the Dragonpit.
That man has really earned his castle.
10) The Hound vs The Mountain
That one image from the trailer that hasn't appeared yet in Season 7 and we're absolutely fascinated by it.
Could Cleganebowl finally be happening?
The Mountain vs The Hound > McGregor vs Mayweather.
11) Tactics for The Great War
If the negotiations between Cersei and Jon/Daenerys are successful, what type of peace agreement would they fashion? Will they share resources and forge a military alliance?
Imagine Jon and Jaime leading the ground troops while Euron, Yara and Ser Davos command the fleets.
We think that Qyburn's scorpion crossbow being armed with one of Jon's dragon glass arrows could be very useful against the Night King and his dragon.
Then again, any alliance and peace agreement between these sworn enemies would be incredibly volatile and delicate.
Remember Cersei's ominous words to Jaime during the Eastwatch episode "If we want to beat her (Daenerys) we have to be clever. We have to fight her like father would have."
Tywin Lannister was an expert at cloak and dagger tactics. We're expecting treachery, deceit and lies.
12) Visions of the future
Endless theories have been written about Bran and how vital he is to the whole show.
Another vision of his could change the entire direction of the story.
13) The Dragon and Wolf: Version 2
Well, it doesn't take a genius to see where this relationship is heading.
Could we get a surprise twist though? We wouldn't put anything past Cersei and as we know in Game of Thrones, happy endings rarely happen.
If Jon finds out that he's the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, how would Daenerys react?
